Cleat cover

ABSTRACT

A cleat cover is disclosed which may be placed over an existing cleat such that any rope or line affixed to the cleat contacts the cleat cover rather than the cleat and is protected by the cleat cover from abrasion and other wear and tear.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to boats and more specificallyto a cover for a boat cleat.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Boats have been used throughout history and for nearly as long as therehave been boats, there have been docks. Boat docks are most often usedby securing a boat to the dock. In most cases, a rope or line is used tosecure a boat to the dock. Nearly always the line is used to tie theboat to the dock.

In many cases a boat is secured to the same dock in the same positionmany times or for a long period of time. In most cases the boat isaffixed to the dock by tying a line from the boat to a cleat affixed tothe dock. In other cases, a loop in the line may be placed over thecleat to secure the boat and the line is not tied. There are a varietyof cleats, but most cleats are metal and have the general shape of a “T”with a short, vertical leg. When a boat is tied to the same cleat anumber of times or for a long period of time, the line wears where itwraps around the cleat. When a boat is tied to a cleat, the movement ofthe boat in the water and the movement of the dock cause the line to rubagainst the cleat and cause wear to the line.

When a boat is tied to the same cleat many times or for a long period oftime, the line used to tie the boat to the cleat wears at the same placeon the line over and over. That is, the major portion of the line may bein good and usable condition, but the relatively small portion of theline affixed to the cleat wears out. The entire line may have to bereplaced even though only a small portion is worn out.

There have been a few inventions which are intended to prevent wear andtear on the portion of a boat line which is affixed to a cleat. Forexample, the patent to Stevens et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 89,514; Apr. 27,1869) discloses a cleat made out of two types of metal. The bulk of themetal is iron while the inner portion of the cleat which comes incontact with the line is made from a softer material such as brass. Thesofter material is believed to cause less wear and tear on a lineaffixed to the cleat. Another type of cleat cover is disclosed in thepatent to Silvia (U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,500; Aug. 11, 1987). This devicecomes in two solid pieces which are hollowed out in their interior suchthat the interior hollow approximates the exterior of a cleat. The twosolid pieces are connected by elastic such that they may be pulledapart, placed around the cleat, and held together by the elastic.

The cleat cover of the instant invention is believed to solve the aboveproblems relating to wear of lines where they are affixed to cleats. Thecleat cover of the instant invention is a cover made from a materialmuch softer than metal. The cleat cover covers the metal portions of thecleat which contact the line such that the line contacts the coverrather than the cleat. Because the line contacts the relatively soft andunabrasive cover rather than the cleat, the portion of the line makingsuch contact wears much more slowly than if it contacted the metal cleatdirectly. The ideal cleat cover should be capable of being easilyaffixed to a boat cleat such that a line affixed to the cleat contactsthe cover rather than the metal cleat. It should also be simple,reliable, inexpensive, and easy to operate and maintain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Nearly all boating type cleats have the general shape of a “T” with avertical leg which is shorter than the horizontal leg. The cleat coverof the instant invention has the same general shape as the cleat. In thepreferred embodiment, the cleat cover comes in two pieces—the innercover and the outer cover. The inner cover includes a hollow tube at itsouter end having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of thehorizontal element of the cleat. The inner end of the inner coverincludes a hook and loop fastener on its outer surface. The outer coveralso includes a hollow tube at its outer end having a diameter slightlylarger than the diameter of the horizontal element of the cleat. Theinner end of the outer cover includes a hook and loop fastener on itsinner surface.

The inner cover is slid over one of the horizontal elements of the cleatsuch that half of the horizontal element of the cleat and most of thevertical element are covered. The outer cover is slid over the other ofthe horizontal elements of the cleat such that the other half of thehorizontal element and most of the vertical element are covered. Thehook and loop fastener on the outer cover engages the hook and loopfastener of the inner cover and holds the two parts of the cleat coverin place on the cleat. A line may be affixed to the cleat in the normalmanner. However, the line engages the cleat cover rather than the metalof the cleat itself.

The cleat cover of the instant invention may be removed from the cleatby simply pulling apart the hook and loop fasteners and removing the twoparts of the cleat cover from the cleat. Although the invention isdescribed above with the inner and outer covers covering half of thehorizontal element of the cleat, the invention would work as well withdifferent portions of the cleat being covered by the inner and outcovers.

In a second embodiment, any of various conventional snap fasteners maybe used instead of the hook and loop fastener. A snap fastener isconsidered any fastener in which two pieces snap together and may beunsnapped or pulled apart.

One of the major objects of the present invention is a device capable ofbeing easily affixed to a boat cleat such that a line affixed to thecleat contacts the cover rather than the metal cleat.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cleat coverwhich is simple, reliable, inexpensive, and easy to use and maintain.

These and other features of the invention will become apparent whentaken in consideration with the following detailed description and thedrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of one element of the cleat cover of the instantinvention cut out, but not sewn;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the inner cover of the instant invention placedon a cleat; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the inner and outer covers of the instantinvention placed upon a cleat

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 3 there are shown variousviews of the instant invention. The invention has been made to be usedas an accessory to an existing cleat. The cleat is not considered a partof the invention and the cleat shown represents any of a wide variety ofconventional cleats.

Now referring to FIG. 1, a top view of one element of the cleat cover ofthe instant invention cut out, but not sewn is shown. This view showsthat each element has the general shape of a “T” when the element hasbeen cut out but not sewn. The material shown for the preferredembodiment is conventional fire hose material, but any material havingsimilar strength, lack of abrasion, weatherproof, and malleabilitycharacteristics would work. The two elements of the instant inventionare created by sewing the range of the outer edge of material 2 labeledrange A, to the range of the outer edge of material 2 indicated by rangeB. The length of the seam indicated by range A1 and range B1, form atube which may be placed over the end of one of the horizontal elementsof a typical cleat (not shown). The length of the seam indicated byrange A2 and range B2 partially cover the vertical element of a cleat(not shown).

Now referring to FIG. 2, a side view of the inner cover of the instantinvention placed on a cleat is shown. As may be seen, an inner cover 4is provided which may be slid onto one of the horizontal elements of acleat 6. The inner cover 4 has an outer end which is generally tubularand largely covers one of the horizontal elements of the cleat 6. Astrip of hook and loop fastener labeled inner fastener 8 is affixed tosaid inner cover 4 on the outer surface of said inner cover 4 near theinner end of said inner cover 4. Note that said inner fastener 8 islocated near the center line of the vertical element of said cleat 6.There is also an outer cover 10 which has the same configuration as saidinner cover 4 which the exception that there is a second, complementary,strip of hook and loop fastener, outer fastener 12, which is affixed tothe inner surface of the outer cover 10 rather than the outer surface.When said outer cover 10 is placed on said cleat 6, the outer fastener12 becomes removably affixed to said inner fastener 8, and holds saidouter cover 10 to said inner cover 4. For clarity, said outer cover 10is shown in a position which is not pushed fully onto said cleat 6.

Now referring to FIG. 3, a side view of the inner and outer covers ofthe instant invention placed upon a cleat is shown. As may be seen inthis view, when said inner cover 4 and said outer cover 10 are both slidonto said cleat 6 and said inner fastener 8 (not shown in this figure)has been affixed to said outer fastener 12; said cleat 6 is almostentirely covered by the cleat cover of the instant invention. A line orrope may be affixed to said cleat 6 without the line or rope coming intocontact with said cleat 6. This prevents such a line or rope fromrubbing against said cleat 6 and causing unnecessary wear and tear.

In a second embodiment of the instant invention, the hook and loopfastener described above is replace by any of a number of conventionalsnap fasteners. A snap fastener is considered any fastener in which twopieces are snapped together and may be unsnapped or pulled apart.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications may be made in these embodiments without departingfrom the spirit of the present invention. That is, the method could beused for a wide variety of purposes either in combination or separately.

We claim:
 1. A cleat cover used to cover a conventional cleat in whichthe cleat has the general shape of a “T” with the horizontal element ofthe “T” being longer than the vertical element and in which the cleat isused by tying or otherwise affixing a line to the cleat and the lineengages the cleat near the inner portion of the cleat where thehorizontal element of the cleat is affixed to the vertical element,comprising: (1) a first half cleat cover which is capable of coveringhalf of the portion of the cleat which engages the line; (2) a secondhalf cleat cover which is capable of covering the other half of theportion of the cleat which engages the line; and (3) fastening meanswhich is affixed to the first half cleat cover and the second half cleatcover and is capable of fastening said first half cleat cover to saidsecond half cleat cover.
 2. The cleat cover of claim 1 in which thefastening means is a hook-and-loop fastener.
 3. The cleat cover of claim1 in which the fastening means is a snap fastener.
 4. A cleat cover usedto cover a conventional cleat in which the cleat has the general shapeof a “T” with the horizontal element of the “T” being longer than thevertical element and in which the cleat is used by tying or otherwiseaffixing a line to the cleat and the line engages the cleat near theinner portion of the cleat where the horizontal element of the cleat isaffixed to the vertical element, comprising: (1) a first half cleatcover which is capable of covering a portion of the cleat which engagesthe line; (2) a second half cleat cover which is capable of covering theother portion of the cleat which engages the line; and (3) fasteningmeans which is affixed to the first half cleat cover and the second halfcleat cover and is capable of fastening said first half cleat cover tosaid second half cleat cover.
 5. The cleat cover of claim 4 in which thefastening means is a hook-and-loop fastener.
 6. The cleat cover of claim4 in which the fastening means is a snap fastener.